Bennett School Faces Demolition to Make Way for Courthouse Expansion
The 118-year-old Bennett School in Manassas is tentatively set for demolition in 2028, cleared to make way for a $233 million expansion of the Prince William County Judicial Center that would add 12 new courtrooms and office space to the existing complex. The school served as an elementary school from 1909 to 1969, later housed county police offices until 1989, and has sat vacant for 37 years.
On May 20, Preservation Virginia named the Bennett School to its 2026 list of Virginia's Most Endangered Historic Places, and some residents and local officials have called on the county to pursue alternatives to demolition. Renovation costs are estimated at roughly $56 million compared to $4.8 million for demolition — a gap that Board of County Supervisors Chair Deshundra Jefferson called "hard to justify" to county taxpayers.
Before any demolition can proceed, the county is required to conduct an archaeological study of the site using ground-penetrating radar and test excavations to locate Civil War soldiers' remains believed to be buried there. That work is expected in the coming months. For project updates, visit pwcva.gov.
Additional background reporting: Prince William Times.
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Marie Buckley Publisher & Editor · The Woodbridge Gazette Your weekly neighbor along the Potomac.
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